some of you guys have REALLY bad luck!

No, Edward, my "fake" wallet would be one that is hard to open so he'd have to pry his fingers in it to open it. What would be inside? A razor blade of course.

Patrick, surely that is a joke?

kswl, pick my pocket and find out!
LOL

Between this thread and 'Another Barcelona Theft' I'm wondering which one will die first.

Sorry I have to explain it. Paris is known around the world for its BAD food? Give me a break.

And I'd have to agree that you can have incredibly great food in Paris for very little money. We invariably spend less money on food in Paris than we do in any other major city of the world. Cheap restaurants in London, New York, Munich, Madrid (I could go on and on) and I somehow expect I'm likely to get mediocre food. But at even the cheapest place in Paris, I usually expect the food will be incredibly fresh and perfectly prepared and served with pride. So I feel confident going to an inexpensive place and am very rarely disappointed. But then we appreciate fine food. I believe ballbuster you recently mentioned that food is not important to you -- you just go somewhere cheap. So please don't pretend to be an expert on fine dining.

Don't get me wrong. I see nothing wrong with your not caring about food nor being knowledgeable about fine dining, but I don't understand how you would then feel qualified to argue with those who are. Nor call someone as idiot because you don't agree with her opinion of French food which happens to match the bulk of the world's.

Patrick,

take a deep breath, relax and drop your shoulders.

It's too late to be getting wound up by someone who obviously doesn't know what he's talking about.

Pickpocketing is a non-violent crime. It is a misdemeanor in.many venues. It may be the third oldest profession, remember Fagan and his students? Why do people travel with 'valuables'? An obvious precaution is to 'limit the risk'. Demographics are increasing risks. We have an expanding population and as a consequence many more (numerically) anti-social inhabitants.

What I would like to know, can I bring my camera with me to Paris? It's a nice, expensive one too. Of course I'll look like a tourist - I will be one, so what. I want to take photo's. That said, any advice on that?

kevangogh, why don't you read all of the responses on your post about taking your camera? A number of people took the time to respond. Hundreds of thousands of people take their cameras to Paris every year. If you take reasonable care of your camera, you should have no problem.

kevan, for gosh sakes no one but you can decide if you should bring you fancy camera to paris with you. you've been given lots of opinions and suggestions on the thread you started specific to the subject. take your camera, don't take your camera, just GO. what we say here on Fodors will not guarantee the safety or lack thereof for your camera.

Paris is indeed a great place to eat fine food w/minimal expense, particularly if you take the time to research such things. By the same token you can also spend a fortune on a meal if you so choose (just as you can in any other major city). As far as your personal attacks on St. Cirq, I have always found (her ?) posts to be responsive & helpful, & there is certainly nothing wrong w/one defending ones-self from some uninformed miscreant. Perhaps you trolls can go find somewhere else to play ??

Are there pickpockets in Paris? Yes.
But if you use some common sense, they will not target you. Valuables should not be carriesd inside a backpack, a bag or yout back pocket. Use a money belt, a little bag that you can hang around your neck, or a pocket in the inside of your jacket that can be closed with a zipper. Pickpockets are looking for easy targets.They want to act quickly and disappear in the crowd.
Use your mind a little bit, and you will be safe in Paris. I wish you a pleasant stay there.